Conveying system

Abstract

The invention concerns a conveying system (10) comprising a frame (20) having two parallel longitudinal members (30, 30') and means (40) for conveying loads arranged between the two longitudinal members (30, 30'), at least one longitudinal member (30) in the form of a profile element that is substantially C-shaped in cross-section, having an opening (O) towards the outside with respect to the conveying means (40). Said longitudinal member (30) is designed to carry, in the profile element, over all or part of its length, electrical cables (50) intended to supply power to and / or control said conveying system (10).

Description

Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to the field of logistics in which items, such as parcels, are transported by a conveyor system from an entry point to an exit point.

[0002] Such a system can, for example, be applied to a sorting station. State of the art

[0003] There figure 1represents in view a) a conveyor system 1 known from the state of the art. The conveyor 1 comprises a frame 2 having two parallel longitudinal members 3, 3' (commonly called frames) and conveying means 4, arranged between these two longitudinal members 3, 3'. In this example, the conveying means 4 are rollers which can be free or motorized. In other examples, the conveying means can comprise one or more transport belts. View b) is a zoom on the conveyor 1 as it can be seen from one side. In this view, it can be seen that a set of cables 6 with their protective sheaths as well as buttons 5 for controlling the conveyor 1, are present under the longitudinal member 3. Furthermore, as can be seen in views b) and c), a support assembly 7 is necessary to allow the routing and support of the power cables 6.

[0004] This known conveyor system therefore has electrical cable trays, particularly under the conveyor. These trays include support plates, clips, and other fastening means to direct, support, and secure the power or control cables. They also include suspended conduits to carry electrical cables to the control boxes via the conveyor legs. Furthermore, the control boxes are positioned in locations where they are not immediately accessible to operators.

[0005] This therefore results in several disadvantages, including: clutter under the conveyors and on the sides where the ducts are suspended. suboptimal safety of the installation given the accessibility to operators of the cables transported in the suspended ducts. complexity which makes the working time necessary for the installation of the system very long, significant installation costs generated by the need for various supports, screws, protective ducts and other means of fixing. unsuitable aesthetics.

[0006] We know of document DE19946452 A1 which presents a partially improved system, but which is not completely satisfactory.

[0007] In particular, this document discloses a conveying system according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0008] The invention therefore aims to propose a conveying system which makes it possible to solve the problems mentioned above in whole or in part. Summary of the invention

[0009] To this end, the invention relates to a conveying system comprising a chassis which has two side members, for example parallel, and a load conveying means arranged between the two side members, at least one side member has a substantially C-shaped section profile having an opening towards the outside relative to the conveying means.

[0010] According to the invention, said spar is arranged to carry in the profile, over all or part of its length, electrical cables intended for the power supply and / or control of said conveyor system.

[0011] Running electrical cables through the frames simplifies the conveyor system and reduces its footprint. It is possible to eliminate external supports and cable protections, as well as their attachments.

[0012] This also helps to improve the security of the system by eliminating suspended ducts, which also improves aesthetics.

[0013] In addition, by reducing the complexity of the system and the number of parts and fixing means, the labor time required to install the system as well as costs are reduced.

[0014] Furthermore, the conveyor system beams can advantageously be used to route other cables (other than the conveyor power or control cables) in an integrated and secure manner from one point to another in the installation where the conveyor system is installed. This therefore helps to reduce the footprint of the installation.

[0015] According to the invention, the spar has first fixing means and the system further comprises at least one control box or a control accessory connected to the electrical cables and accessible from the outside to an operator, for example to start or stop the conveyor, make adjustments, or even to manipulate the control accessory in order to ensure detection or measurement. Said box and / or said accessory has a body and second fixing means arranged to cooperate with said first fixing means by snap-fastening.

[0016] This has the advantage that the control elements are more visible and accessible to operators, thus increasing the ergonomics of the system. In addition, the snap-on mounting makes it easier to install control boxes and accessories and reduces installation time. It also reduces the number of screws normally used for installing such control boxes or accessories.

[0017] An accessory may be a measuring, detecting or display means. For example, the system may include a display accessory to provide feedback to the operator to follow up on an operator command. The accessory may, according to another example, be in the form of a touch panel which can be used to program the operation of the conveyor or to program a diagnosis and display a result. The system according to the invention therefore makes it possible to have an ergonomic human-machine interface comprising control means and / or display means.

[0018] According to the invention, the first fixing means comprise along the profile an upper jaw and a lower jaw corresponding respectively to the upper end and the lower end of the profile, said jaws being substantially aligned, and each second fixing means cooperates with one of said jaws.

[0019] Such first fastening means are of simplified construction and allow the attachment of a large number of control boxes or accessories along the side member. This also allows the modular addition or removal of as many accessories or control buttons as necessary.

[0020] Advantageously, said jaws can form, with respect to a vertical axis perpendicular to the ground, an angle greater than 0° and less than 90°.

[0021] This makes it easier for operators to access the control buttons.

[0022] According to the invention, said body may have a generally rectangular section and the second fixing means comprise two notches or two hooks diagonally opposite to said body. Advantageously, the second fixing means consist of only two notches or two hooks diagonally opposite. Obviously, the notches or hooks may be replaced by any similar fixing means known to those skilled in the art.

[0023] This arrangement allows, according to the invention, to achieve simplified snap-on attachment by a simple rotation of a quarter turn. Advantageously, said body of the control box or of the accessory has a length substantially equal to the distance between the lower jaw and the upper jaw of the profile, and a width less than or equal to N times its length, with N located between 1 and 10, for example.

[0024] N is chosen to allow: easy assembly and removal, with a simple quarter turn; solidity of the attachment over time; reduced bulk.

[0025] Advantageously, the width is less than twice the length. Advantageously, the width of the body is less than or equal to its length.

[0026] Advantageously, the system can also include plates that are intended to serve as covers in areas that do not include buttons or accessories. This will ensure the safety of operators by preventing them from touching the cables and protect the conveyor from dust.

[0027] Advantageously, the conveying system may further comprise one or more tubes connecting the two side members and arranged to allow cables to pass from one side member to the other.

[0028] This allows for safe passage of electrical cables from one side member to the other and also helps to strengthen the chassis structure.

[0029] Advantageously, the chassis includes a lower wall connecting the two side members. This lower wall supports power cables and control cables. It also supports the chassis structure.

[0030] Advantageously, said lower wall may comprise a removable part. This removable part allows easy access to the interior of the chassis, for example to carry out a repair or a maintenance operation.

[0031] In addition to the advantages mentioned above, the conveying system according to the invention also makes it possible to save on the length of the cables, by reducing the different cable paths. Brief description of the figures

[0032] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows of exemplary embodiments with reference to the appended drawings in which: [ Fig 1 ] there figure 1 is a schematic view of an example of a conveyor system known from the state of the art; [ Fig 2 ] there figure 2 is a partial schematic view of an example of a system according to the invention; [ Fig 3 ] there figure 3 illustrates in a) a section of the spar of the figure 2 , and in b) an example of a control box intended to be mounted on the side member of the figure 2 ; [ Fig 4 ] there figure 4 is a schematic view of a second example of a conveyor system according to the invention; [ Fig 5 ] there Figure 5 is a schematic view of a third example of a conveyor system according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention

[0033] There figure 2is a partial schematic view of a conveyor system 10 according to the invention. The conveyor system 10 comprises a chassis 20, partially shown in the figure 2 and a spar 30, also called the first spar in the following. The system also comprises a second spar not shown. The second spar may be identical to the first spar 10. In another exemplary embodiment, the first and second spars are different.

[0034] The conveying system also comprises a load conveying means 40 in the form of a belt arranged between the two side members.

[0035] The spar 30 has a substantially C-shaped section profile and has an opening O towards the outside relative to the load transport strip 20.

[0036] As can be seen on the figure 2, the spar 30 carries in the profile electrical cables 50 which are used for the power supply and / or control of said conveyor system 10. The profile can also carry other elements 51 of the power supply system or the control system.

[0037] The wall 31 of the profile of the spar 30 has an upper jaw 32 and a lower jaw 33. These two jaws 32, 33 form first fixing means.

[0038] On the figure 2 , we also see, fixed on the profile, an example of a control box 40 which comprises a body 41 and a control button 42.

[0039] Other types of elements can also be attached to the profile, for example accessories 60 visible on the figure 4or 80 plates to close off open areas that do not include a control box or accessories. This ensures the safety of operators by preventing them from touching the 50 cables. It also protects the interior of the profile and the cables from dust.

[0040] There Figure 3 a) shows a cross-section of the first spar 30, according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0041] In this example, the upper 32 and lower 33 jaws are aligned and form an angle of approximately 13° relative to a vertical axis perpendicular to the ground.

[0042] In other embodiments, the two jaws may not be aligned and may form an angle different from 13°, for example an upper angle of 0° and a lower angle of 90°. Such an angle is chosen so as to allow a better presentation of the control buttons to the operator.

[0043] There Figure 3 b) a second example of a 40' control box intended to be mounted on the side member of the figure 2 The 40' case is presented in perspective with the front face (left view) and with the rear face (right view).

[0044] The housing has a substantially rectangular body 41' and second fixing means 43, 44 which are arranged to cooperate with the jaws 32, 33 of the profile 30 by snap-fastening. To allow such snap-fastening, the second fixing means 43, 44 comprise two notches or two hooks diagonally opposite said body 41'. In other exemplary embodiments not illustrated, the first fixing means and the second fixing means are of a different shape from that shown in the figures.

[0045] Furthermore, the box includes a plug 45 allowing its connection to the electrical cables 50, shown in figure 2. It also includes a 42' control button.

[0046] There figure 4 schematically represents a second example of a conveyor system 100 according to the invention. The system 100 is similar to the system described previously. It comprises a chassis 200, having two side members 30, 30' and a load transport belt 400.

[0047] The conveyor system 100 may also comprise one or more tubes 500 connecting the two side members 30, 30'. These tubes allow electrical cables 50 to pass from one side member 30, 30' to the other.

[0048] The chassis 200 may also include a lower wall 600 connecting the two side members 30, 30'. This lower wall 600 makes it possible to reinforce the structure of the chassis.

[0049] According to an alternative use, this lower wall may also support a portion of the power cables and / or control cables. For example, the main power and / or control cables of the conveyor may be carried along the conveyor in the frame and supported by the lower wall 600. Secondary cables such as the cables 50 visible in figure 2 are taken from the main cables and connected to the control boxes 40 or to the accessories 60.

[0050] Furthermore, the cables 50 can pass from one spar 30 to the other 30' via the tubes 500, for example to connect a control box 40 to an accessory 60.

[0051] There Figure 5 represents a schematic view of another example of a conveyor system 1000 whose structure is similar to that of the system 100 of the figure 4The conveyor system 1000 further comprises a removable part 700 in its lower wall 600. The removable part 700 allows easy access to the interior of the chassis to carry out a repair or maintenance operation.

Claims

1. Conveying system (10; 100; 1000) comprising a frame (20; 200) having two longitudinal members (30, 30') and a load-conveying means (40; 400) arranged between the two longitudinal members (30, 30'), at least one longitudinal member (30) has a profile shape having a substantially C-shaped cross-section having an opening towards the outside with respect to the load-conveying means (40; 400), said longitudinal member (30) being arranged to carry, in the profile, over all or part of its length, electrical cables (50) for powering and / or controlling said conveying system (10; 100; 1000), the longitudinal member (30) having first fastening means (32, 33) and the system further comprising at least one control box (40, 40') and / or control accessory (60), connected to the electrical cables (50) and accessible to an operator from the outside, said box and / or accessory each having a body (41, 61) and second fastening means (43, 44) arranged to cooperate with said first fastening means (32, 33) by snap-fitting, wherein: - the first fastening means (32, 33) comprise, along the profile, an upper jaw (32) and a lower jaw (33) corresponding respectively to the upper end and the lower end of the profile, said jaws being substantially aligned, and - each second fastening means (43, 44) cooperates with one of said jaws (32, 33), characterized in that said body (41, 61) has a generally rectangular cross-section, the second fastening means (43, 44) consist of two notches or two hooks which are diagonally opposed with respect to said body (41, 61) and configured to achieve snap-fit fastening by a simple quarter-turn rotation.

2. Conveying system (10; 100; 1000) according to the preceding claim, wherein said jaws form an angle greater than 0° and less than 90° relative to a vertical axis with respect to the ground.

3. Conveying system (10; 100; 1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said body (41, 61) has a length substantially equal to the distance between the lower jaw and the upper jaw of the profile, and a width less than or equal to twice its length.

4. Conveying system (10; 100; 1000) according to the preceding claim, wherein the width of the body is less than or equal to its length.

5. Conveying system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more tubes (500) which connect the two longitudinal members (30, 30') and are arranged to allow cables to pass from one longitudinal member to the other.

6. Conveying system (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the frame (200) comprises a lower wall (600) connecting the two longitudinal members (30, 30').

7. Conveying system (1000) according to the preceding claim, wherein said lower wall (200) comprises a removable part (700).

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